Woodstock ’99 Documentary Explores Infamous Festival

If Woodstock ’69 was branded as “3 Days of Peace and Music”, Woodstock ’99 can only be thought of as “4 Days of Chaos.”

The infamous ’99 festival took place in New York State, this time moving north to Rome. The event quickly turned stressful and uncontrollable as unannounced attendees brought the Griffiss Air Force Base far over capacity and late July temperatures climbed to unbearable heats. Audiences lamented over inflated food and water prices while crowds and mosh pits even turned violent.

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HBO’s new documentary, “Woodstock ’99: Peace, Love, and Rage”, explores the pitfalls of the festival through firsthand footage and interviews with artists and attendees. Director Garret Price also brings in commentary from the event’s organizers as they piece together the downward spiral of events.

The documentary’s trailer, which was just released, reveals harsh clips of fires being lit in big crowds, guests rolling in mud, and a darker look at how many women experienced sexual harassment and abuse over the course of the festival.

“Woodstock ’99” also centers the chaos around an overarching theme of male rage and unbridled energy channelled through the booming performances of headliners like Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, Korn, and more.

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Photo by Joe Traver

Singer Moby even addresses the strange feel of the festival upon his arrival, saying in the trailer, “We got off the bus, and I was like, something’s not right.” Others in the trailer continue to reiterate, “This was not your parent’s Woodstock.”

“Woodstock ’99: Peace, Love, and Rage” premieres on HBO July 23. Check out the trailer below for what is sure to be an interesting and nuanced exploration of this notorious Central NY event.

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